Skip to content

The Must List: Washington Brewer’s Festival, Alaska Herring Week and a Video Game Blowout

Your weekly guide to the hottest events in Seattle.

By Seattle Magazine Staff June 15, 2017

0617_Herring

Must Pour for Pop
Washington Brewer’s Festival

(6/16-18) Drinking 500 beers in one weekend isn’t the healthiest (or realistic) goal. But if not for the laws of biology (seriously, not a challenge people), one could theoretically sample as many different brews at this three-day beer festival. Unlike most fests, the 12th annual Father’s Day weekend sip-a-thon is all ages, so junior can tag along and learn how to string a pretzel necklace like his old man. Besides the 130 breweries pouring, there will be a little something for wine and cider lovers, plus food trucks and live tunes. Times vary. $30-$35 ($5 designated driver), Marrymoor Park, 6046 Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond; washingtonbeer.com.

Must Party on the Diamond
Field of Dreams

(6/17) Over the past 15 years, the Field of Dreams Dinner and Auction has raised nearly $20 million for Medical Teams International, a nonprofit that supports families in need of medical care around the world. Enjoy food, drink and good-spirited bidding in a truly unique venue: Safeco Field’s baseball diamond. 5 p.m., SoDo, 1250 1st Ave. S. More information at medicalteams.org.

Must Get Your Game On
Seattle Retro Gaming Expo

(6/17-18) Attention vid kids of a certain age: This weekend Seattle Center is your heaven. No, Mortal Kombat on ice isn’t premiering at KeyArena (cool as that would be). But this old-school video game convention is taking over Fisher Pavilion. Play or purchase throwback games from the Atari era through the earliest Xbox titles and geek out on gamer talks throughout both days. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 298 2nd Ave. N. seattleretro.org.

Must be Spontaneous
Seattle International Festival of Improv

(6/18-25) Watch performers from all over the world build wacky and creative stories on the fly—with help from the audience—at the 21st annual improv fest. Each daily performance will have a different theme, from performers improvising in their native languages to working in groups of three. Prices and times vary. Market Theater, downtown, 1428 Post Alley; unexpectedproductions.org.

Must Eat Fish
Alaska Herring Week

(6/19-25) Pickled herring anyone? Dozens of Seattle-area restaurants are adding a herring dish to their menus to celebrate the delicious, oily and nutritious fish (you’ll find them in participating grocery stores too), all part of an effort to raise awareness about the cultural and ecological significance of herring. Prices, times and locations vary. Participating restaurants at nwherringweek.com.

 

Follow Us

Little Ways to December in Seattle

Little Ways to December in Seattle

A few (mostly) local things worth picking up, wandering through, or falling into as the year wraps.

December always sneaks up on me even though every year I convince myself I’m going to be organized (I’m not). So I’ve been collecting these simple outings and local spots that feel like unwrapped gifts. If you’re looking for a way to escape or lean in, here are some recommendations. A sip of history You…

Back to Gander

Back to Gander

Seattle Rep revisits its original world premiere with a new staging that pulls you straight into the heart of the story.

When you walk into the theater, the cast is already onstage in what looks like a Gander high school gym—setting out dishes for a potluck, chatting, and then cleaning up. It feels like you’ve arrived in the middle of a reunion, which is the point. This run marks 10 years since Come From Away first…

Seattle’s Big Holiday Arts Guide

Seattle’s Big Holiday Arts Guide

A full lineup of seasonal performances across local theaters and venues.

In the words of William Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well.”  Local theater and arts organizations are hoping for exactly that. Holiday productions often account for as much as half of their annual ticket sales. A 2018 Dance/USA survey found that The Nutcracker alone represented 48% of yearly revenue for many companies producing the Tchaikovsky…

Outside the Frame

Outside the Frame

In their first solo museum exhibition in Seattle, artist Camille Trautman uses photography to reclaim history, narrative, and self-expression.

You have probably seen Camille Trautman’s work without even realizing it. A huge photograph—20 feet wide—is currently hanging across the exterior of the Frye Art Museum, visible to passersby driving along Boren Avenue. The image is of a wooded landscape in black and white. Its edges are vacuous, with trees swallowed by darkness, but the…